Chris Koza’s “Sleepwalkers Part 1”, Stepping Into a New Beginning
March 17, 2019
An interview with Minneapolis musician Chris Koza
On Friday, April 26, Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Chris Koza will take the stage at The Parkway Theater to promote the release of his latest solo album, Sleepwalkers Part 1. Recently, I sat down with Koza to talk about the album, his journey as a musician and where he’ll go next.
Koza has grown to be one of Minnesota’s most renowned musicians. Sleepwalkers Part 1 is his seventh solo album, following In Real Time, released in 2014. He has released five albums with his band, Rogue Valley, and performs with Minnesota-based groups The New Standards and Little Fevers. His music is featured regularly on ABC’s General Hospital and 60 minutes. And recently, he recorded and produced the EP for Minneapolis’ Best New Bands of 2017 selection, Early Eyes.
It’s safe to say Koza doesn’t sit still for long. And it’s this involvement and multi-faceted approach to artistic projects and partnerships that brings each of Koza’s albums a dynamic richness and feeling of new energy. Sleepwalkers Part 1 is no exception.
The track “Sleepwalkers” kicks off the album, with lyrics like “I drag my legs to your door, my body knows something my mind just won’t ignore” and “I guess I never put to rest the sleepwalkers in my mind, it’s not your job to play god when the graveyard comes back to life”. Well-written and beautifully composed, it’s a strong start to the album and a wake up to the youthful energy that breathes through its remaining songs.
Track three, White Lions, brings a recognizable transition, with more rock and electrical guitar elements, most similar to track eight, Man of Stone. Following White Lions are the album’s shining moments: lighter, fluffier tracks Music to Me and Hush.
In summary, the album begins and ends as expected, with pop-infused, pleasant and upbeat lyrics and melodies. But everything in between is a lovely surprise. Sleepwalkers Part 1 displays a deeper, richer side to Koza: more versatile and reflective. It’s a Koza nearly ten years in the making.
Koza became interested in music early on while growing up in Portland. Influenced by the likes of Paul Simon, David Bowie, The Lovin’ Spoonful, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Koza knew shortly after college that music was what he wanted to pursue.
But it was taking some time to really launch into it full-time.
“It was like a plane trying to lift off a runway, but not getting enough speed yet,” Koza said.
But things started to take off when Koza began performing with Rogue Valley in late 2010, early 2011.
“[That’s when] I decided, even if it was just temporary, I needed to focus all of my energy on making music and playing shows,” Koza said. “And since then, I’ve tried to say yes to a lot of things, whether or not I felt confident I could do it at the time.”
That pursuit led to a successful transition into music full-time for Koza. But it did come with peaks and valleys. When asked what makes being a rising musician in Minneapolis unique, Koza admitted that once people have a first impression of an artist, it can become hard to break out beyond it.
“Here in the Twin Cities, I see artists succeed and also languish because of these first impressions made early in their careers,” Koza said. “It’s hard to have new and different opportunities.”
And that’s, in part, what Sleepwalkers Part 1 is all about: transcending the genre that gave Koza flight and bridging the boundaries where pop and Americana meet rock and soul. Sleepwalkers Part 1 is a reminder of where we’ve come from and a celebration of discovery. It’s about growing up and evolving, falling in love with others and falling back in love with ourselves. It’s an album for a long, solo drive across country roads, or a windows down, friend-filled ride in the heart of summer.
Koza plans to release Sleepwalkers Part 2, this fall. Until then, Koza plans to go on tour, work on a few other studio projects, and write a musical.
“I’m just going to keep doing what I do, getting deeper,” Koza said. “Keep on.”
You can pick up Koza’s album April 6th and catch his release show with Joy Dolo Improv, Diane Miller and The Twins of Franklin at The Parkway Theater on Friday, April 26th. Get tickets here.
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Photo credit: Mike Madison
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